I wouldn’t normally post a review on a Thursday but today was sort of mandatory (I have read 3 books and haven’t written a review on any of them… I’m afraid I’m going to get them confused in my head) So, in lieu of “It’s a Tween Thing,” I’ll just write a review of a book that involves teens. (Sounds like a fair trade right?)
“Beastly” is a story we have read a hundred time…seen a hundred times… and will most likely read, and see 100 times more before it has been pummeled into little bitty unrecognizable pieces.
Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce you to the latest literary version of Beauty and the Beast.
You would think after so many versions someone would come up with a unique twist right? Apparently not, which I have to say baffles me more than I would like to admit. Here is an outline for a story that has been handed down for hundreds of years, boy is arrogant, girl is nice/naive, witch thinks boy should learn a lesson, cast a spell and BAM! Ugliness ensues. There are a number of different rules/regulations/requirements to break the spell but the most important is true love…BAM spell broken!
So why is it so hard to shake things up a bit? Regardless of your thoughts, dear authors, you can very easily keep an intended plot line AND explore the alternatives in the quest to get there.
I’m not saying that “Beastly” was uninteresting… the story is a classic for a reason, but the fact that the screenwriters for its up coming movie adaptation had more creativity, in a minute long teaser trailer, than an author (that has 7 novels under her belt) did is almost embarrassing.
“Alex Flinn’s” writing was, in places, exasperatingly juvenile, and there were random chat-room sequences that were awkward, unnecessary, and out of place. The character development was also top heavy, listing pages of detail for “Beast” but in return only offering the audience a few brief paragraphs for Lindy (the girl.) It is important for authors of YA Literature to understand that even though their novel is “intended” for a youthful audience, their WRITING doesn’t need to reflect it.
Now, keeping all of the negativity in mind, the above rant is not to say the book wasn’t an enjoyable read, it’s just one that has to be read for what it is. It’s a read that takes a few hours and not much thought, which might be just what the doctor ordered on days of endless stress.
Here is my recommendation… If you are having a bad day and want to relax with a book you don’t have to concentrate all that hard on, buy it, otherwise, wait for the movie. (God I hate saying that.)
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if there is a will there is a way, sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective.
For a complete book description click image
[Rating:2/5]Movie Trailer
